


Of battle, a frontier to overcome

by Kiri_Kaitou_Clover



Series: Coda: What is unseen [3]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime 2019), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Ash has begun to notice his crush, Ash has connections, Ash is overeager, Ash is technically still a battle frontier winner, Ash unconsciously showing off to Gou, Gen, Gou has self doubt, Gou is still crushing hard on Ash, Gou learns how fun pokemon battles are, SS007 - The Hoenn Region Site of Fierce Fights! The Battle Frontier Challenge!!, maybe? - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:47:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24567169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiri_Kaitou_Clover/pseuds/Kiri_Kaitou_Clover
Summary: Ash forgets that his experiences are not everyone's experiences.Gou leaves the battlefield doubting himself and questioning Ash's reasons for bringing him to the competition.They both come out smiling afterwards.[The thoughts of Ash and Gou during the Battle Frontier Flute Cup]
Relationships: Satoshi | Ash Ketchum & Gou (Pokemon)
Series: Coda: What is unseen [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1665454
Comments: 16
Kudos: 284





	Of battle, a frontier to overcome

**Author's Note:**

> Not exactly the fic I'd originally been working on, but this one sort off came out of nowhere and ambushed my sleep deprived self yesterday afternoon. 
> 
> Minor notes:  
> The anime calls it the Hoenn Battle Frontier, but I'm placing it's location in the seas between Hoenn and Kanto/Johto if using the map on Serebii.net. Clearly it isn't the same Battle Frontier that Ash had participated in, or the one that was in Sinnoh, but because the original Battle Frontier was Hoenn in game but around Kanto/Johto in the anime, I've headcanoned that Scott probably called and informed Ash about the place. 
> 
> Also, because the anime is determined to have Ash and Gou be around the same age, please assume that a year in the anime is _way longer than just 12 months_.

If there was one thing Ash tended to forget, it was that not everyone enjoyed competitive Pokemon battles as much as he did, nor did they always have as much experience as he did, nowadays.

(It was easy to forget that he wasn't a rookie trainer anymore. Especially since every journey would make him feel like a rookie all over again, either because of new rules, or new experiences, or even new situations. He took it in stride, because being called the rookie, called an underdog, it was always such a fun challenge.)

Scott had been the one to inform him about the minor competition on the Frontier Island that had been built in the oceans between Kanto and Hoenn a while back. It hadn't been the first time Scott had invited him, but it had been the first time Ash had even been in Kanto long enough for him to participate in anyway.

("If you won't become one of my Frontier Brains then I'll just have you help me scout out potential challengers," Scott had said over the phone, during the month following Kalos. "I'm building a Frontier Island, Ash. It had originally been planned to be your challenge site, but you are still rejecting the offer. So I'll just have to open it up to public and occasionally get one of the Brains to participate in the tourneys. You aren't going to be exempt, my friend!"

"Scott, you know I'm not always in Kanto!" Ash had groaned in annoyance, but inside, he was starting to feel a bit excited. Anything to get his mind off the disaster that had been his last journey. And the Battle Frontier had been the one challenge that had ended on a high note for him. 

"That's why I said I'll be getting the other Brains involved in this!" the other said cheerily. "They all need to get out of their buildings and actually interact with people more often, and what better way than randomly pitting them in a tourney?"

Ash could only laugh at that.

Then Alola happened and Ash simply couldn't make it anyways.)

_It's going to be a two Pokemon, Singles format competition. Try not to sweep the competition. I want to at least be able to see who might be my newest Frontier Challenger._

_After all, whoever manages to face down your Pikachu definitely deserves a try, am I right, Mr Alola Champion?_

_Scott._

_You are so lucky I recently became a research fellow and am technically sticking to Kanto for a while. That or you already knew. Knowing you, it's the latter._

_Just for that Scott, I'm going to use my Mom's Mr Mime for this. You're on._

_Ash._

He'd responded to Scott's invite in kind, and had cheerily dragged Gou with him, knowing full well Gou would enjoy visiting a new region and seeing opportunity in catching Pokemon he'd never seen before. Plus, he honestly wished to share one of his passions with the other boy.

Ash could only resist the urge to laugh as Gou dashed after the Taillow. It had such nice timing, bailing Gou from Ash asking him about his reluctance to battle.

(He needed to introduce Gou to the rest of his team some time. He kept putting it off. But if he could watch Gou's face light up with wonder and amazement with each new encounter, then maybe he'd put it off some more.)

Hoji was such a cheerful reminder that trainers often didn't act the same way they looked. That said, Ash watched in delight as Gou, in a stroke of luck, found himself a rival so early on.

He should have been more careful though.

Ash had forgotten he wasn't a rookie anymore. His judgement of good challenges had become very skewed over the years and he was very good at estimating his opponent's challenge towards his own self. But he'd also forgotten that the one with him had only recently gotten his first Pokemon, recently _caught_ the other Pokemon he'd brought with him, and had been reluctant about battling. That and in all technicality, this would be Gou's very first trainer battle, ever.

Ash had forgotten that trainer battles were very much a challenging frontier every beginner needed to overcome. And that perhaps, a mini tournament, hosted by the Battle Frontier, was perhaps the worst option he could have signed his friend up for.

He saw the disappointment in Gou's eyes at the loss. He recognised that feeling of wanting to give up. The feeling of frustration. 

And Ash, knowing full well he'd messed up, knew he needed to correct the mistake fast. He needed to show Gou that battles weren't supposed to be that way. He needed to show Gou what Ash had experienced. 

"Watch our battle, alright?" Ash had called out, as Gou began running out of the Pokemon Center.

He hoped it would be enough. 

He hoped that Gou's curiosity would get the better of him.

(Ash hoped this experience hadn't crushed Gou's interest in Pokemon battles, all because of his own selfish wish to show Gou the reason for his passion for them.)

* * *

Gou had more than enough time to stew and vent his frustrations over what had happened while he searched the nearby forest for Wurmple. The loss had honestly stung. 

It had stung hard.

His knowledge about battles was not enough. Knowledge was never enough. 

And he'd let Scorbunny and Scyther down because of his inexperience, because he'd hesitated.

It wasn't the Pokemon's fault. It was never the Pokemon's fault. 

(It was always him, wasn't it? His arrogance, his pride.)

"Catching Pokemon is always better... right?" Gou muttered to himself, listening to the cheers of the crowd and the announcer shouting his commentary over the battles. And suddenly, a question came to him.

Just why had Ash even dragged him here in the first place? Why had he signed him up for a battle tournament? Hoenn was kind of out of the way too. Sure, it was reachable by ferry, but why not somewhere closer?

Catching his third Wurmple, Gou sighed. Why was he even thinking about that anyways? Ash's actions were improbable. Unpredictable. Sure, they'd only been friends for a while, but Gou was pretty sure that no one really understood what went on in Ash's mind outside of Ash and maybe his Pikachu. 

A paw tugged at his pants and Gou looked down to see Scorbunny frantically tugging and pointing at the stadium. 

And then he heard it. 

The announcement that the last match of the semi finals had ended.

Gou took a step forward... then hesitated. What if battle really just wasn't for him?

Shaking his head to clear the doubt, Gou began chasing Scorbunny, who'd run ahead of him and had waited for him to catch up. 

He'd watch Ash's match.

Just to indulge his friend.

(There was that nagging curiosity there though. What was it that Ash wanted to show him?)

And when he watched the match, Gou understood just why Ash had wanted him there. 

It wasn't to show off.

It wasn't to prove how inexperienced Gou was in comparison to Hoji. In comparison to Ash.

No.

Gou was instead stunned by how the battle played out. The fluidity in Ash's direction of Mr Mime's movements and barriers, the ease at which Ash used what they'd observed Mr Mime practicing just that morning in order to make certain Mr Mime took no hits during the entire trading of blows. How the battle between Pikachu and Mightyena turned into a battle of speed and power instead of offense versus defense. How Ash's quick thinking, and Pikachu's quick response to Ash's directions, allowed the two to manipulate the field to their advantage. 

It looked fun.

It looked like Ash and Pikachu were having fun too, even when they'd been cornered for that single moment.

And somehow, Gou found himself wanting to join in.

He wanted to have fun battling.

(He wanted to battle Ash. To battle him, see that determined glint in his eyes from across the battlefield, and come out feeling satisfied, even with a loss.)

"So this was what you wished to show me..." Gou smiled, once he'd broken out of his stupor. "I think I get it now."

It still hurt, that loss against Hoji. 

But it hurt less, with the new understanding.

"It was one battle, Gou," He would hear Ash mumble to him later that night, when they were back in the dorms. When Ash thought he was asleep. "One battle out of thousands more. One loss, out of a thousand future victories. I'm glad you had fun in the end."

And when he was sure Ash was sleeping, Gou whispered back, "I'm glad you took me with you Ash. I hope you had fun too."

Battle was a challenging frontier every trainer had to overcome at some point. 

Sometimes, it would end in loss and disappointment.

Gou was glad he managed to see the joy and fun of it in the end.

* * *

A few days later, Gou finally decided to research what the Battle Frontier was.

He suddenly didn't feel bad about his loss anymore. And instead directed a glare into Ash's back for the remainder of the day, and refused to speak with him. Nor did he tell Professor Sakuragi or Koharu just why he was mad at Ash in the first place.

Ash, seeing the _still open webpage_ on Gou's computer, winced and accepted it.

He deserved it for sure.

**Author's Note:**

> Not mentioned - Scott emailing Ash about paying for the stadium damage and asking if he'd been showing off to Gou during that fight since he clearly hadn't held back and Ash asking the man to shut up.
> 
> Special thanks to InfernalFox for technically being my beta and first reader for my Pokemon fics! The Boss Fox will always get first read for them!


End file.
